Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-05-31
THE MERRIAM.

Last summer passed some weeks in Ma.
langen, Norway, lai! up with a sprained
| ankle. One evening ny farmer host, Bernt
Olaffsen, told me the following story. l be
lieve it; SO would you IL you had heard him
tell it.
/ was left an oIrhen when but years old
and went TO live with ny cousin Karen, who
had been a servant in Tie family of the min
| lister at Alstadt, but Y 20 then lived at Kral-
holm, in Weiroland, having some months be
fore married Elias. fisherman OF that place
kralholn, for 1o,:,e re0scp, has ever been the
haunt of ghosts, ''lo~t1ea and all wicked spir-
its OF TIC sea 1t too, Karen and me a long
time to become accuss oned to the strange
sights and sounds Of tais lonely beach where
her cottage stood.
Her husband, a CHEEKY, hearty man,
laughed at our fears, assuring US that the sea
spirits had no power over those who led godly
lives and who avoided al dealings with them:
so, when six years had passed away, bringing
with them children and ell ether blessings,
Karen's fears had been long since forgotten.
Then suddenly Elias seemed to change lie
became gloomy and.s elt He.was, as ever,
kind and good, but lis jokes and laughter
were no longer heard. This was very strange,
and, stranger still. he Suddenly stopped all
talk about the new IN cared boat he had
long meant TO buy to take the place of tie
old six oar" almost worn ont with long serv-
ice Tha: ne.E Cen or had been the theme
Of many fre>i5r tair. tar i, was TO be the
finest or Kr2lao:n h7o n, fuc now for to
years we heard uH,..H. about H. l[e.la
was, Of coprea, very aazea-, and ] at Lass,
havin,; grown TO be -out l1i Of lG. ven
cared 10 question him aiaiT. Karen ioinld
ne, and at lasJ IL 500 G cat.
One day, two years age, he w4s walking
on an unfrCQusnted utvt 81 the beach, armed
with his fish spear, ana caga suddenly upon
g huge seal, lying asj sp on s rock. It was
the largest he had ever seen, but, strange to
say, he felt afraid Of it, and wished to run
away. | say strange. for no.one ever fears q
seal, and the larger Il s. TIE better The prize
Elias mustered up his courage, crept clost
to the sleeping monster, ard drove the speai
deep into its back. With a frightful yell Of
rage aud pain, such as 10 true seal ever ut
tered, the brute raised Itself, wrenching the
staff ont of the fiSheynans hands It stood
erect, seeming to grow IS tall as a boats
mast. Screaming and gnashiug its teeth, it
glared at Elias with fierce, bloodshot eyes,
while he half lead with fear. could only
murmur prayer. With one final below il
plunged into the sea, carrying with it the
harpoon, ard di5coiori1g the water with
blood. Elias did not speak Of this incident to
any one He was. in truth, ashamed Hs
had been frightened by seal; had missed his
blow, and lost not only his prize, but his bar
poon as well. He would be finely laughed q
Afterward lie found floating the staff of his
spear, the iron having b en broken off.
One night, shortly after this, he heard
great noise in the boat house. lie immedi-
ately rose and went 70 SEQ Il any mischief
were on foot. It was midnight, stormy and
very dark. Entering the boat house he heard
no sound. and at first could see nothing. Sud
denly the light of his lantern fell upon q huge
black mass from which rose grinnng and
snarling the fierce head Of the monster seal
He remembered it well, and while he stood,
terror stricken, this head grew human, the
seal disappeared, and in its place was q large
man, entirely naked, who rushed past Elias
striking the lantern from his hand but not 50
quickly that the poor fellow could not see
sticking fast between his shoulders the spear
Of his lost harpoon. lie realized then what
he had done, what vengeance he had pro-
voked, with whom he had dealt and had still
to deal. Karen found him living in q swoop,
the broken lantern BY lis side lie told her
nothing, and from that day was silent and
gloomy, for he knew that he had Incurred
the deadly hate of norman. than which no
greater evil can befal 2 scattering man.
But he kept on with his fishing. and one
dark morning as he was sailing our he heard
a deep voice that seemed to call from the sea
itself:
10, calls oil fort no. f~r &C.
Wait til you've sailed race with mel
When the sky IS black and TIE Ge-d aGoel.
I'll show you tla match OF your ten cared ooas-
His men thought it was so1ns neiEhbor wish /
ing to play them a trick E.ias knew VsLat it
was
From that day De lived in terror. He gave
up all idea of buying q tel osrel boot. partly.
because he did not think i worth while for
the short time he believed he had 10 live,
partly because the fuermal's vor.is seemed 70
warn him against sailing Il such a craft.
We said ali we could II caer him, e. first
with little effect: hut IS months auf zeasons
passed and nothing evil baup-al his Gloom
wore away. he became his Old self, AMI again
all his talk was Of q rev ten Dared bcat
Spring came. AID . day was fixed when sye
were TO sail around 80 Raae1. sell The ola
boat for what IT w9uld fe-ea and b0y thensw
one. Great We're the =. .1ars.-icre. tor we IL .
tended to make a pleasure party f i ard
take Karen ard oil -ae l5le1. - wife "a
sisted that she should stay 80 1.a,.-o 50 that
the indGsr fous touse mo-1z- I'D have st
lessc one days dlvegslol.hat is, s.ss WIS no.
my wife then: She w4s al orphan. Ike ne,
who had bsen adopted by the kiai aslaeg7aan.
Oh, if Elsa had only gone with rs we would
have come back safe ard happy. for Elsa il
Finn, and the Firms know al se1 magic ard
can bring 70 naught ali ths snehanllneuts
Of the mernlcn. But it was fatd
The day fixed for chr trip Tsas perfect The
sky was bright and cleslr: q isht bresze, far
FOR Bsnen, just Er.z1-i the saa- TTe were s
Merry party; we sailed away lanEbia.y and
while Elsa waved rs god loci. from
he shore
We soon reached RanEa, aad while Karen
md the children went = In heslss of iE5az1
Elias and sought the boasaGs;s.f-- .TeusE-
-ei to 81 ogr Cd boa, Gloaza we g.. LIT
istlo Ter Il Then he-an icsu- a7zd cs--es.i
examination Of tan cared boa-s. @e were
lard 70 please. but q. last found o1s tbs.
eeEned TO be iuS1 what We wanted Her
model below the ws.sr linz was 81 perfect, so
TO any Tia. Ne had ever seen, tAas